The still humid air is abruptly cut by cold raindrops as they start dotting our exposed skin. I’m sprawled out on the prickly grass accompanied by my elementary best friend, Owen. We lie next to each other now, 18 years old, in the foreign country of Japan. My eyes flutter open as the rain frequents my skin.

It is the summer before college. We ended up lying in here out of pure spontaneity, randomly deciding to pack a backpack with a few days worth of clothes and hop on a plane to Japan. A two-week adventure.

As we sought shelter under a sprawling pine, waiting for the rain to pass, we began brainstorming what we wanted to do. We had been in Japan for 12 days and were on the final stretch of our trip. Much like how our time here was coming to a close, Owen’s and my childhood was ending as well. Ever since meeting each other in fifth grade, we have been inseparable. Staying best friends throughout middle school and high school. The only thing that could bring us apart was the inevitable afterlife most students have after high school: college. With the short amount of time we had left in Japan and our childhood, we wanted to capitalize on every experience we could get our hands on.

We started the trip at the south point of Japan and progressively worked our way north, exploring every inch of the country. We were now in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, figuring out how we wanted to spend our last few days.

Scrolling on the various Japanese blog sites, Mount Fuji kept popping up as a highly recommended marvel.

“Want to climb Fuji?” Owen asked in an almost joking way.

“Sure,” I replied.

As simple as the conversation was, it was enough of an idea for us to catch the next train to the town of Mount Fuji, Fujikawaguchiko.

Before summiting the mountain that has taken lives, we thoroughly researched the climb. Usually, the average person would take a total of two days to climb the mountain. The advised way of getting to the top is to stay in a mountain hostel about halfway up, stay the night, and summit at sunrise. Owen and I, who had restrictions on time and money, decided we would attempt to do the hike in one day. 

Having only one day on the mountain meant we had additional battles. We had limited daylight and energy. From base camp to summit the average climbing time is 5-10 hours. The time from when the first bus goes up to when the last bus leaves is six hours. To make the last bus out before sunset, we had to be up and down the mountain in under six hours. Far above the average climbing time. Our second battle was the sheer energy it takes to get to the top. We did not have the luxury of sleeping halfway up the mountain. 

The trail to the summit is rigorous. It is only around a five-mile hike, but the steepness and intensity of the climb make the climb feel twice as long. We were up for the challenge.

The clock was ticking as soon as we stepped off the first bus and onto the volcanic gravel at 11 a.m. We wasted no time and briskly started the trail. While the clock just started ticking for our summit attempt, the clock has been ticking for Owen’s and my childhood for years. 

When thinking about the fragile concept of time, it is conflicting. To me, it is the most valuable substance in the world. You can never get more or less of it. It simply just runs. So the solution to being under the pressure of a clock is to take it one step at a time. Worrying about the future will spoil what you have in front of you. Worrying about reaching the top in time, would ultimately distract us from what we have in front of us, each other. We would turn back in 3 hours regardless if we reached the summit.

Most climbers were geared up in what looked to be Mount Everest expedition gear. Some had oxygen tanks, breathing heavily as they trudged up the mountain, others, like Owen and I, had a daypack, shorts, and sneakers. We were far underdressed, but this kept us light.

With our one-step-at-a-time mentality and the light load on our shoulders, we began to surpass all the other climbers. A hopeful sign that we could reach the summit at an above-average time.

As we bolted up the mountain, we would hear “Sugoi!” or ‘amazing’ in English. Although we were fighting against time throughout the whole climb, we were enjoying each other's company and only needed one more step.

“One more, just one more” I would say throughout the climb.

In just under three hours, we reached the top of Mount Fuji. We were winning in our battle against time. Looking out from the summit, on what seemed to be all of Japan, we observed the lush scenery. Seeing all the ridges, developing cities, and all of humanity. The scenery symbolized much more to us than just our accomplishment of climbing the mountain. It represented all that was on the horizon. All the new people we would meet and the experiences we would have in college and beyond in our adulthood. There was so much to look forward to. We soaked in the moment and relished in the beauty of our friendship. 

As for what the future holds for us, there is no telling. We are sure to experience highs, lows, and the in-betweens, but with a mindset of taking it one step at a time, you can’t lose.